Trooper H. Boik (NMP) and Dartnell patrol Isandlwana, 22 January 1879

Good Day All,

From a previous discussion on this web site it was mentioned that Trooper H. Boik (#141) of the Natal Mounted Police was possibly out on patrol with Major Dartnell on 22 January 1879 when the Battle of Isandlwana took place.

What substantive proof/evidence that this was the case.

Please help.

Pretoria Highlander

The muster roll that named men of the Natal Mounted Police who were part of the force of mounted Colonials under Lord Chelmsford was recorded at Rorke's Drift the day after the battles at Isanandlwana and Rorke's Drift. It was published in Clarke's history of the NMP, which was published in 1893.

The list includes the names of men who were present during the battles at Isandlwana (34) and Rorke's Drift (3). The remaining 97 men must have been on the patrol under Major Dartnell that went in search of the Zulu army. Those men included Trooper Boik.

Unless there is some other evidence to the contrary, this is the most reliable record known to me.

Regards
Brett

Brett Hendey wrote:

NATAL MOUNTED POLICE

ANGLO-ZULU WAR  1879

CENTRAL COLUMN
(ISANDLWANA & RORKE’S DRIFT)

The muster roll of the Natal Mounted Police given below was recorded at Rorke’s Drift on the morning after the Battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift in order to find out the names of missing men.  It was given by W J Clarke in his 1893 history of the NMP.  Service numbers and initials have been added and the spelling of names follows that on the NMP enlistment roll.  The men were awarded the S A Medal (1877-79) with the 1879 clasp.

The muster roll names all the Natal Mounted Policemen who were part of the Colonial mounted force that crossed into Zululand with the Central Column under the command of Lord Chelmsford.  The list identifies the 34 men who were at Isandlwana and three who were at Rorke’s Drift when these camps were attacked by the Zulus.  The remaining 97 men must have been with the patrol led by Major Dartnell that went in search of the Zulu army the day before the attacks on Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift.  They returned to the Isandlwana camp on the evening of the battle, spent the night in the devastated camp and left for Rorke’s Drift early the following morning.  The parade during which the muster roll was compiled took place after the men were given a meal of tinned meat, bread and rum, the first food for many of them in 60 hours.
Major J G Dartnell (later Major-General Sir John Dartnell KCB CMG, Natal Police)
Inspector G Mansel  (later Colonel G Mansel CMG, Natal Police)
      “        F A Campbell
Sub-Inspector F L Phillips

25  Sergeant-Major W Stean  (later Sub-Inspector and Adjutant)
15  Sergeant W R Faddy
115       “        W H Hobson
112       “        D F McQueen
82         “        R Moor
151 Corporal W S Chaddock  (died of fever at Helpmekaar)
118       “        T H DeBathe
67         “         W Jordan
74         “         M Lally  (killed at Isandlwana)
175       “         M A Masson  (later Sub-Inspector)
21         “         J A Melville
178 Lance-Corporal H M Campbell  (killed at Isandlwana)
269             “             R N Eaton (escaped from Isandlwana)
270             “             A Groschke
255             “             E H Lyons
149             “             A Smart

167 Trumpeter R F Angove
94           “        W Knott
80           “        J Haygarth
256         “        R W Stevens  (escaped from Isandlwana)

234 Trooper  C F Adams  
1           “       G Babington
286       “       A C Bacon
133       “       W Balloch
261       “       F Bampton
287       “       G H Banger  (killed at Isandlwana)
215       “       F E Bates
185       “       W J E Bawtree
277       “       H Beeby
258       “       G Bennett   (died of fever at Helpmekaar)
179       “       H Berry  (killed at Isandlwana)
276       “       E Blakeman  (killed at Isandlwana)
141       “       H Boik
262       “       W I Brown  
209       “       H F Campbell
124       “       H I Capps  (killed at Isandlwana)
143       “       J Carpenter
264       “       C J Carter
188       “       L Carter
216       “       S Chappell
218       “       H Clark
239       “       J Clark  (killed at Isandlwana)
249       “       W J Clarke   (later Chief Commissioner, Natal Police)
199       “       G Collier  (escaped from Isandlwana)
89         “       G I Cooper
236       “        W N Cuming
180       “        S Daniels  (killed at Isandlwana)
200       “        E A Day
104       “        D Doig  (escaped from Isandlwana)
284       “        H V Dorehill  (escaped from Isandlwana; later Sub-Inspector)
231       “:       C T Dorey  (killed at Isandlwana)
142       “         W Driemeyer  (murdered at Newcastle)
238       “        T Dryer
170       “         J Eason  (killed at Isandlwana)
274       “         A J Evans
186       “         W Fletcher  (killed at Isandlwana)
197       “         C Fogg
184       “         J Ford
240       “         A S Fowler
237       “         F Freyings
157       “         J Gilmore
159       “         D Gleeson
220       “         H C Green
219       “         R Green  (wounded in the defence of Rorke’s Drift)
106       “         L Haigh
246       “         M W Hall
69         “         W Hall
268       “         W G Hall
253       “         C Hamilton  (later Sub-Inspector)
254       “         H R Hamilton
113       “         G F Harrison
273       “          W Hayes  (escaped from Isandlwana; died of fever at Helpmekaar)
245       “          M Hifferman
83         “          H Heise
280       “          S Hunter (killed at Rorke’s Drift)
57         “          G Hughes
288       “          J Hughes
169       “          P B Ingram  (died of fever at Helpmekaar)
198       “          F E Irving
148       “          G W Jones
227       “          W Kershaw
164       “          R Kincade  (escaped from Isandlwana)
232       “          C J Laughnan  (died of fever at Ladysmith)
229       “          R T Litton
291       “          H C J Lloyd  (killed at Isandlwana)
271       “          H Lugg  (in the defence of Rorke’s Drift)
129       “          T McRae  (killed at Isandlwana)
136       “          E C Mathie
152       “          C H Meares  (killed at Isandlwana)
247       “          W A Medigan
278       “          P Nagle  (died of fever at Helpmekaar)
235       “          H Neil  (killed at Isandlwana)
272       “          W Nelson
257       “          H Newhook
49         “          A Owen
223       “          H Palmer
248       “          A Parsons  (killed at Isandlwana)
230      “           W G Patrick  (not on medal roll)
289       “          H T Pearse  (killed at Isandlwana)
172       “          H J Pitt
102       “          J W Pleydell  (killed at Isandlwana)
156       “          A F Pollard  (killed at Isandlwana)
154       “          R Reed
134       “          C Robson
212       “           J Roffey
153       “           C W Royston
63         “           A Rummings
259       “           A Secretan
            “           F R Secretan (killed at Isandlwana; service number not found)
177       “           R I Shannon  (escaped from Isandlwana)
123       “           J W M Siddal  (killed at Isandlwana)
192       “           C W Singleton
205       “           E Smith
266       “          J S Smith
9           “          H S Smithe  (committed suicide at Helpmekaar)
225       “          J Soundy
202       “          J A Sowerby
140       “          C M F Sparks  (escaped from Isandlwana)
126       “          T B Steer
193       “          W E Stimpson  (killed at Isandlwana)
201       “          S E Thicke  (killed at Isandlwana)
166       “          G E Turner
190       “          J F Walker
292       “          W B Walker
111       “          E Wall
285       “          A G B Warner
214       “          C White  (killed at Isandlwana)
119       “          M H White
275       “          H Winkles  (killed at Isandlwana)
265       “          D Wright

1879graves
Thank you for reposting the roll.
Regards
Brett

Thank you gentlemen for your feed back.
Any idea where I could find a copy of Clarke's history of the NMP ?

Clarke's book was not easy to find, and I eventually found one in a secondhand bookshop in rural Natal. This copy has been passed on to someone else, so I cannot offer to copy any of the pages for you.

HI PH,
I have emailed you a copy of pages 20-24 of  Insp Clarke's book, "A record of the services of the Natal Mounted Police (1893). Tpr Boik's name is listed on the first page, 20 , as being part of the "Dartnell Patrol".

regards

barry

Thank you Barry. Have not yet received your email. May have been a problem with an on/off setting I had. Please could you try emailing me again. PH

Hi Everyone, I've found all your posts most interesting on my G.G. Uncle Harry Boik. Thank you all very much for all the efforts you have gone to in finding out more information on my relative. Regards, Paul

Symons gave the number of Police on 11th January 1879 as 4 officers under Dartnell and 128 men. This excluded HQ and the Harding detachment left to guard the Pondoland border. Holt also gave the actual number assembled for the invasion as 111 incl. Dartnell, a figure taken from Trpr. Clarke's roll. On the 23rd January Clarke used his 134-man roll to confirm N.M.P. casualties; three (Sub-Insp. Fred. W. Bampton, Trprs. Bacon, Patrick) were not on the medal roll. Either the remaining 131 were all on the Mangeni or 20 men must have left camp (on escort duty rearwards? under Bampton?) so that Clarke could both have a roll of 134 and a presence of 111.
Three men were at Rorke’s Drift hospital and 34 at Isandhlwana (incl. Trpr. Parsons sent back to camp by Dartnell for accidentally firing his revolver). The likelihood is that 3 officers and 70 men(possibly 90) were on the Mangeni (and Dartnell, under the General Staff figure). Norris-Newman estimated the number sent out on Dartnell’s patrol at “100 Mounted Police, and fifty Volunteers”, which, realistically, could confirm either total of 74 or 94 men.
Boik might have been out with Dartnell's patrol, equally he might not; there is no independent corroboration (yet).